Our Programs

Programs at the John Glenn Astronomy Park will take place both during the evening and daytime.

Visitors to JGAP during the day will get views of the closest star to the Earth, our own Sun, through telescopes with special filters. Families will also enjoy astronomical activities in and around the park. Have you ever wondered how big the Solar System really is? A "solar system walk" will show, and amaze, you.

At night, visitors will get a chance to see stunning views through the enormous 28-inch telescope in the roll-off roof observatory. The moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies will be seen. And, if there happens to be a bright comet in view, we will look at that too!.

OUR RESERVATION SYSTEM IS OPERATIONAL!

We ask all visitors to reserve a parking spot for all of our future programs. The parking spots are >free< but we only have a limited amount of space, so be sure to make a reservation.

Your Ticket will be a "snapshot" of our PC or cell phone screen. So, don't forget to take a picture or screen capture once you sign up.

Note: All of our programs are weather dependent. We will send out an e-mail early in the the day in case that night's program is cancelled. Please watch your email, or check this site, if the forecast looks cloudy or rainy.

The Clear Sky Clock

This window shows the predicted cloud cover and sky transparency for upcoming hours. A grey or white box in either the "Cloud Cover" or "Transparency" row generally indicates that no stars or planets will be able to be seen. Aqua will be adequate for planets,, but not good for faint stars, galaxies, and nebulae, and light and dark blue are good for all objects.

View of the Month: M57: The Ring Nebula

A ring, a powdered donut, a smoke ring, the Cosmic Cheerio. I've heard the nebula M57, in the constellation Lyra, called many things.

It is, in fact, the remnants of a dying star, casting the elements it has forged over its multi-billion year lifetime back into space. They will be swept up into clouds and, someday perhaps, form the chemistry of new star systems yet to be born.

The carbon in your bones, the nitrogen in your DNA, the Oxygen in the water that makes up most of you, was all created in the heart of stars. Then, when those stars entered their final death throes, they swelled up, and, with a strong, slow wind, pushed those elements back into space.

The ring nebula lies some 2300 light years away in the constellation of Lyra, and has a very distinct appearance in amateur telescopes.

The ring shape can be seen in almost any amateur telescope, but the view gets better as the mirror or lens of the scope gets bigger. The views through JGAP's 28-inch telescope are striking!

This photo-illustration gives an idea of what the ring looks like through a large telescope.

Sharing the sky

The John Glenn Astronomy Park is a project of the Friends of the Hocking Hills State Park, a non-profit (501c3) membership organization for people who love the Hocking Hills and take special interest in improving Park features and preserving it for the enjoyment of future generations. Please visit the FOHHSP website for more information about other projects and activities. Contact FOHHSP: (877) 40FHHSP (403-4477) or president@friendsofhockinghills.org